Lander-Marks SPEAKS on WRITING RESEARCH TIPS.

Author of Artist's ProofResearch is Everywhere You Look!The Las Vegas Writer’s Group holds monthly meetings for authors in every stage of their writing career. The programs they provide and support for fellow writers are invaluable. The February meeting will feature Stephens Press author Sarah Lee Marks (who writes as Lander Marks) presenting a unique perspective on the collecting of stolen World War II art and artifacts as told through her novel Artist’s Proof. Sarah has spent the past decade developing her sharp, sassy, and quick-witted characters with an earnest desire to deliver unbiased information from which the reader will take away new insights about this period in history. Using her book as the backdrop, Marks will dispense tips for developing solid research habits, and how to creatively incorporate this information into your manuscript. Marks will display a painting by Bela Kadar, recently discovered to be from the Nazi-era of ‘degenerate’ contemporary art.Title Unknown, Approx. date 1938 Bela Kadar

February 19th ~ 7 PM ~ The Tap House. There’s a modest $5 fee and you do need to RSVP at Las Vegas Writer’s Group.

Email landermarks@readartistsproof.com with specific questions about research for writing non-fiction/fiction.

ie:

The Ultimate Metaphor/Innuendo Contest

cover of book: Artist's Proof

ARTIST’S PROOF: The ULTIMATE METAPHOR CONTEST.

 

 

The Grand Prize is a $50.00 Gift Certificate to Borders or B&N. 

OBJECTIVE: Write the most clever, articulate or creative explanation for a metaphor or innuendo found within the pages of ARTIST’S PROOF. 

EXAMPLE:  When character DJ Singer describes the sunset view in colors that invoke the image of a Marc Rothko painting, she treats us to an appreciation for her taste in art while carefully layering a reference to an artist whose heritage resembles that of Sol Fleming.

ENTRIES: July 12, 2008-September 30th, 2008  One entry per person, posted here in the comment section.

Winner will be selected by the author, and all decisions are final. Entries become the property of the author. Good luck and have fun reading. If no one enters, there will be no award of the prize. You can purchase your discounted copy of the book: ARTIST’S PROOF at Amazon.com through this link.

Free Book Money and other stuff.

my book

So I am in the throws of writing the next book in the DJ SInger series. DJ and her love interest Ron are yet again on a vacation. Can you guess where? Only if you have read ARTIST’S PROOF. But as I am procrastinating, and making excuses that this is all in the name of research, I find myself surfing the world of WORDPRESS blogs on books, writing and literary genius.  AHA! I wander into the den of KOOLAIDMOM, which is in of itself a name worthy of mention, and find her offering a treat to all those willing to comment on her blog.  What a great idea. She’s offering a $20.00 gift certificate to Borders, BOOK MONEY! Any upstanding book lover-junkie is sure to respond, as did this upstanding, procrastinating writer. So check out her stuff; http://thekoolaidmom.wordpress.com/2008/07/01/my-first-ever-giveaway/ and add your own comment. HOWEVER, I would like to add one more catch to her contest;  Write something inspiring, thoughtful, funny or sad. Comment on her blog, books you’ve read because of her reviews or writing. IMHO.

And comeback here often, do the RSS thing, as I am brewing my own contest, thanks to Koolaidmom. with plenty of grist for the next book, I bid you ado. It is time for me to revisit a character or two. AS I leave you today, I post a question worthy of a sentence from you…

IS OPRAH’S OPINION that important to your TBR pile?

Thanks,

S. Lander Marks

www.myspace.com/landermarks.com

www.readartistsproof.com

Lander Marks reviews The Genius by Jesse Kellerman

The Genius by Jesse Kellerman

 

Lander Marks reviews

The Genius by Jesse Kellerman

I enjoyed the fast pace, well drawn characters and plot of The Genius.  Kellerman moves the story along without grotesque or ridiculous theories. The reader feels the pain, envisions the detail in the art work and smells the dank air of the storeroom.  I didn’t realize the book was about art (see: artist’sproof, the book) until I opened the cover. What a delight! Not your typical hide and seek Thomas Crowne affair-novel.

The transition from current to back story is unevenly applied. While the information provides a wonderful appreciation of an important time in American cultural history and to that of the storyline, a change of font would have helped the reader.

Jesse writes with clarity, leading us along with ease, however, I found the narrator’s interruptions distracting, creating a disconnect in mid-stream. In fact, the narrator speaking directly to the reader, left me feeling manipulated and annoyed by the sometimes condescending tone.  Beyond the first person  main character position, it added nothing to the plot.

All in all, the book is a 9 out of 10.  I look forward to his next and next and next.

see the first chapter from The Genius… courtesy of www.jesseKellerman.com

Chapter One

In the beginning, I behaved badly. I’m not going to lie to you, so allow me to get that on the table right away: while I would like to believe that I redeemed myself later, there’s no question that—in the beginning at least—I lacked a certain purity of purpose. That’s putting it mildly. If we’re being honest, let’s be honest: I was motivated by greed and, more importantly, by narcissism: a sense of entitlement that runs deep in my genes and that I can’t seem to shake, no matter how ugly it makes me feel, some of the time. Part of the job description, I suppose, and part of the reason I’ve moved on. Know thyself.

Christ. I promised myself that I’d make an effort to avoid sounding like a pretentious prick. I ought to be more hardboiled; I’d like to be. I don’t think I have it in me. To write in clipped sentences. To employ gritty metaphor in the introduction of sultry blondes. (My heroine’s a brunette, and not the especially sultry kind; her hair isn’t jet black and dripping; it’s medium chestnut and, more often than not, pragmatically tied back, workmanlike ponytails or flyaway buns or stashed behind her ears.) I can’t do it, so why bother trying?

We each get one story to tell, and we have to tell it in the way that comes naturally. I don’t carry a gun; I don’t get into car chases or fistfights. All I can do is write down the truth, and truthfully I might be kind of a pretentious prick. That’s all right. I can live with that.

As Sam is fond of saying It is what it is.

Generally, I don’t agree. A more appropriate rule of thumb—for my life, my line of work, and this story—might be It is what it is, except when it isn’t, which is most of the time. I still don’t know the whole truth, and I doubt I ever will.

But I’m getting ahead of myself.

 

A Rehabber’s Tale

FLIP this HOUSE…

FLIPPING HOUSES!  watching Flip this House, Extreme Home Makeover and House Swap, makes the idea of laying carpet, replacing toilets or changing a light bulb, sound (and look) easy.  While we never see Ty pull out his wallet, in this book you will find out where to buy the new fixtures and furniture you need at insider prices.

A Rehabber’s Tale by Richard Warren takes the novice handyman turned real estate investor into the realm of buying a fixer-upper for profit or personal pleasure. With over fifteen years of real estate rehabbing experience, his well written explanation of cost strategies, buying tips and anecodtal stories will keep you from making mistakes, wasting time and breaking your back. This book is the best investment you could make before you pick up a hammer. Click below to hear the interview.

AMAZON has this to say…   “When it comes to renovating real estate for profit, A Rehabber’s Tale separates the fantasy from the reality. Flip and Grow Rich television programs have grown in popularity, but how much of what they show is real? Can the average investor really generate substantial wealth through real estate rehabs? A Rehabber’s Tale shows that the answer is YES! A Rehabber’s Tale will arm you with the information you need to succeed!    Written with both the amateur investor and the seasoned professional in mind, A Rehabber’s Tale covers every aspect of the business from property acquisition, through repairs, resale, or rent. You will learn how to determine if a particular property is a good investment, which type of business structure might work best for you, and the tax ramifications of investing in real estate. Richard Warren draws from his own extensive experience in the business and adds stories and insights from other rehabbers to present a complete picture of what rehabbing for profit is really like. Whether you are just beginning in real estate investment or have already completed several projects of your own, A Rehabber’s Tale is a must read for everyone looking to build wealth through renovating real estate. “

Click here to listen to the interview: http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=36800747 

Click here to purchase the book… http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0595486312/ref=yml_dp

This is a great book for anyone doing home improvements, buying houses to flip or real estate investors considering fixer-uppers.

writing MYSTERY

Writing MYSTERY…
Current mood: contemplative

 

June 20, 2008- Las Vegas, NV

It sounds like a “noir” title. Is it the process or the title to a new book or the subject itself?  People; friends, strangers, readers, ask me where did I come up with the idea for the story, or what made DJ or Ron or Uncle Jake do ….

I get my inspiration from everything happening around me. Today’s paper is filled with a regergiation of Oakland Raiders’ Walker having been found beaten and unconcious in a Las Vegas alley, sans his expensive watch. Now that’s the makings of a great whodunit.

Sometimes I sit at an outdoor cafe along the strip and enjoy the attire of the famous and infamous citizens strolling the Strip at noon in 110 degree heat.  If you ever had a body image issue this will either cure it or kill it.

Color, texture, mood, sounds are all incorporated into my higher consciousness when I’m “in the zone”, of writing. Here is an example of one of my “zones” from Artist’s Proof,  my latest DJ SINGER mystery. There will be more, I promise.

“A cloudless electric blue sky met the turquoise horizon of the Pacific as dusk approached. The orange swipe of setting sun cut across the vista like my favorite Rothko painting. The balmy breeze blew my hair into the zinc oxide, sticking the wisps to my lips. I stood on the top deck of the S.S. Hollandays, chugging its way south along the Mexican Riviera, enjoying the late afternoon view as Kate screeched in my ear.”

See the YouTube video:http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=36393757

 

Questions about Artist’s Proof

 Las Vegas, Nevada- June 16, 2008–  WINE WALK at Lake Las Vegas was a reasonable success. The heat was 105 in the shade. The Candlelighters’ Childhood Cancer Foundation was doing a brisk business in tickets to taste over twenty-five wines from around the world. You can drink as long as you can walk, seemed to be the motto.  

My author signing area was close to the registration area so many folks were able to add some literature (Artist’s Proof) to their bag of goodies, for a donation of $25.00

 

Several of the attendees had already purchased the book and a couple of folks asked some interesting questions… I will answer here. (without giving it all away).

 

 

Q.   Who would play the part of DJ Singer if it were a movie?

A.   I’d like to think Debra Winger or Sandra Bullock be interested.

 

 

Q.   Are ALL the artists’ in the book real?

A.   No. The obvious names; Dali, Picasso, Miro’ are real. Fleming is a composite. In the story of Artist’s Proof, the portrayal of his life is a compilation of the real life experiences of many of the most famous artists.

 

 

Q­­­­.­­­­   Have you been to all the places depicted in the book?

A.   Yes. Capri, Rome and Naples in Italy. Mexico. New York City, and the midwestern states of America.

 

Check out my podcast on You Tube:http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=36393757

Author responds to allegations.

Las Vegas, NV- June 13, 2008.  Artist’s Proof author answers allegations regarding DJ SINGER.  While my closest friends and distant acquaintances have all claimed title to being DJ Singer, the heroine of my new book: Artist’s Proof. However, the official statement says “…any resemblance to an actual individual or place is strictly a coincidence”. 

All that aside, their allegations are true.

DJ SINGER is a real person, alot of real people in my life. She is the consummate combination of every woman over 40. I wanted a character that felt real. Someone we could consider a close friend and confidant. The girlfriend you could talk to about family or job b.s.  Everyone in my life had a place in DJ’s character development. From those who have suffered from the “ticking clock” of perfect mates or having children, to those women who have made a decision only to suffer the angst of whether that decision was correct. Singer is a kaleidoscope of self-doubt, and false bravado.  She tight-ropes the let it all hang out with doses of sterilizing mission control.  DJ is a celebration of all my known and unknown sisters who have made it to forty-five in their lives and careers only to be welcomed to the stark reality of boredom, blood pressure and gravity. DJ loves her mother, but family baggage is a fact of life. 

 

Yes, DJ SINGER is YOU, a celebration of your best and worst personalities. She’s someone you can love. She’s a woman after your own heart, who wears hers on her sleeve.  So, when you delve into Artist’s Proof, know that DJ is not as much about me, as she is about you, and together we’ll all grow old with grace, dignity and a lot of laughs.

 

See you soon.

Lander Marks

www.readartistsproof.com

 

Come back often to read reviews and listen to podcast interviews with other authors.

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